Who was First Lady watching at the Open?

Who was First Lady watching at the Open?

NEW YORK (AP) -- First lady Michelle Obama played kid-sized doubles against Serena Williams, clocked a 55-mph serve and even did some hula-hooping in her first visit to the U.S. Open.

Obama spoke to a group of local youngsters Friday as part of her campaign against childhood obesity.

"I'm not really good or anything like that. That's the beauty of tennis," she said. "You don't have to be good to enjoy it. I love the game, and my skills are very questionable."

Obama then joined the kids in a tennis video game, table tennis and other activities at an indoor facility at Flushing Meadows designed to get young players excited about the sport.

Obama and a pint-sized partner played doubles against seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe, who gave her some volley pointers. Williams, a 13-time major champ who advanced to the Open semifinals Thursday, rolled in after about 45 minutes and took over as Obama's doubles opponent.

"I've been trying to get to the U.S. Open my entire life," Obama said.

Joined by former and current players Billie Jean King, James Blake and Katrina Adams, Obama recalled that she didn't get into tennis until after law school because there were few courts where she grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Obama praised the U.S. Tennis Association's efforts to build kid-sized courts around the country and recruit more youngsters to the game.

Now she hopes she and her daughters will still be playing when they're in their 90s.

"It's a sport you can do forever," Obama said.

Obama later took in the Andy Murray-John Isner quarterfinal match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The team announced it claimed Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Oakland Athletics just hours after Castillo’s suspension became official. The White Sox simultaneously placed Miguel Gonzalez on the 60-day disabled list, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster for Garneau, who was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Garneau, 30, has 87 major league games under his belt thanks to stints with A’s and Colorado Rockies. He split time between those two clubs last season and slashed .188/.272/.313 with a pair of homers and nine RBIs in 126 plate appearances.

The White Sox found themselves with few options Thursday morning, when Castillo was suspended for use of a performance-enhancing drug. Alfredo Gonzalez was summoned from Charlotte to take Castillo’s spot, though he wasn’t the team’s first choice. Kevan Smith, who played plenty at the big league level in 2017, is on the disabled list with an ankle injury. Seby Zavala, who is having a terrific offensive season at Double-A Birmingham, is also injured, though he likely wouldn't have been promoted as he continues to develop into a possible catcher of the future alongside Zack Collins.

The lack of internal options sent the White Sox outside the organization, and while Garneau is heading to Charlotte, he could potentially be up soon to help new No. 1 Omar Narvaez behind the plate while Castillo sits out the next three months.

92 Days to Kickoff: St. Edward

92 Days to Kickoff: St. Edward

NBCSportsChicago.com preps reporter "Edgy" Tim O’Halloran spotlights 100 high school football teams in 100 days. The first 75 team profiles will focus on teams making strides across Chicagoland and elsewhere in the state. Starting July 30, we’ll unveil the @NBCSPrepsTop 25 Power Rankings, leading up to kickoff on Friday, Aug. 24.

Biggest holes to fill: Replacing standout quarterback Dylan Mlinarich will likely be one of the bigger projects for the 'Wave.

EDGY's Early Take: The Green Wave just missed out on the 2017 playoff because of low playoff points and will need to reload come August. Only two starters are back on both sides of the football. Look for St. Edward to get the football into the hands of RB Nick Wright quite a bit. WR Sidney Muhammed will also be another experienced play maker this fall.